Day 2 - Jury Selection Continues

posted by Jay O'Hara | 646sc
October 03, 2017

Michael Foster this morning with his attorneys Michael Hoffman and Alice Cherry.

Good morning all! Prospective jurors are about to enter the courtroom for Day 2 of Michael Foster and Sam Jessup's climate trial, in Pembina County, North Dakota. It was a long and slow day yesterday of jury selection yesterday. The morning was amicable and thoughtful. The afternoon was more contentious, with multiple jurors unable to say that they could give Michael and Sam a presumption of innocent.

This morning we'll continue this snail like process. We have some hope that we'll have empaneled a jury by lunch time, though nothing is guaranteed.

Ken Ward writes, "Michael Foster's attorney, Mike Hoffman continues to lead a fascinating conversation with jurors about the nature of the presumption of innocence, and whether that presumption is eroded when individual prospective jurors assume that a defendant is likely guilty merely because they have been charged by law enforcement. Mike Hoffman quotes a juror excused yesterday who said he believed that the trial is a waste of time, and why not just cart Michael off to jail?"